


a place for you

by pastelkanan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura isn't getting paid enough, Coran makes a brief appearance, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith is dating Shiro but Shiro is missing so, Kissing, Lance almost gets laid, Lance gets very embarrassed, Lance is strong, Lance thinks the team will blame him for everything, Lotor does some sweet talking, Lotor has a Tragic Backstory(TM), M/M, season two spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-19 15:16:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9447137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelkanan/pseuds/pastelkanan
Summary: The Galra empire is not easily dismantled. A new leader emerges, a prince, son of Zarkon. The war continues.But before it does, he wants to personally meet the paladins of Voltron. He even takes a liking to one of them.





	1. a place for you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off of this tweet and my own small contribution: https://twitter.com/belliniis_/status/823037899004399616

   They all knew that the Galra empire wasn't going to collapse in on itself after the fight with Zarkon. They all knew that they still had work to do in all corners of the universe, eliminating Galra outposts and forcing them off of planets they had conquered. And with Shiro currently missing in action, things were getting a bit complicated.  
   The black lion was safe, but the whereabouts of its paladin were a mystery. Shiro would never want them to halt everything just to go searching for him--he had far too much of a sense of duty to the universe for that--and so there they were, four paladins and a princess fighting the Galra until he could be found. They searched as they went, interrogating enemies and questioning the inhabitants of the planets they visited. They had yet to find out anything other than, “The black paladin? There's a tale about Voltron that our people know--”  
   Allura asked the black lion if it would allow her to be its pilot, just until Shiro got back. It wasn't that she didn't have faith in the four remaining paladins, of course, but they couldn't form Voltron with just the four of them. They needed a fifth, and that fifth was currently missing.  
   The black lion begrudgingly let her, though it was made quite clear that as soon as Shiro was back, she was out of the pilot’s seat. She could live with that; Shiro was the true leader of Voltron as far as anyone-- _especially_ the black lion--was concerned.  
   Shiro would be back soon. He had to be.

*

   Coran stayed in the castle while they went down to the surface of a planet that was teeming with Galra. Their base wasn't exactly in the most strategic of positions, leading them to believe that they could take it out fairly easily. As easy as it could be to take out a weaponized Galra base, anyways.  
   It was a long, exhausting fight. The base was crushed underneath its own watchtower, sliced through and knocked over at some point. Maybe it had blown up, actually. Oh, who knew?  
   The point was that Galra eventually stopped pouring outside to attack, which was a good enough reason to believe that the problem was dealt with and the base was destroyed. The five exited the lions to meet with the locals, a race of… well, there was no pleasant sounding way to put it. They were slug people. They were kind, surely, but also slimy and a bit gross, especially the friendly ones who wanted to hug their heroes. But diplomacy called for them to accept and return those hugs.  
   Lance thought to himself that he'd have to take at _least_ five showers to get all the slime off of him. At least the slug dudes meant well and weren't trying to eat him. He'd seen some shit since joining Voltron. The universe was fucked up.  
   Another one came meandering over towards him, its arms--or should he call them appendages?--spread. These folks really liked hugs. He mentally steeled himself for the oncoming slime bath.  
   But it didn't come. He saw the creature’s face drop, saw fear well up in its eyes. The others followed suit, some gasping, some screaming. He looked behind him to see what had scared the slug friends so badly. He had expected some kind of horrible natural predator, like a _massive_ frog beast or something, but his heart sank when he saw it. An enormous Galra ship had appeared in the sky and was slowly descending, preparing to land not far off. Not far at all.  
   He was vaguely aware of Coran yelling at them through their communicators, yelling so loud that he could be heard even though none of them were wearing their helmets at the moment as they were tucked under their arms during the meeting with the natives. He was saying something about how he hadn't seen them coming--they just _appeared_ , like some kind of magic! No wormholes anywhere to be seen! He would have seen if there was a wormhole.  
   The ship landed. A ramp was dropped, and a booming voice announced, “Be at peace. We have not come to fight.”  
   Everyone put on their helmets and readied their bayards anyways, slowly inching closer to each other. Safety in numbers and all that. Allura stood closest to the group of Galra walking their way.  
   Pidge muttered something under her breath, something that sounded like a curse she was probably too young to use. There was the soft sound of Hunk groaning about how they'd just finished a fight and it was too quick to start a new one. Keith said nothing and looked angry; it wasn't the threat of a new fight that pissed him off, Lance thought, since Keith had been diving headfirst into battles ever since Shiro went missing. No, he must have been angrier that more Galra had the nerve to show up before he had a good chance to ask the locals if they had, by any chance, seen their missing paladin. And Lance, well, he wished that the enemy had at least waited for him to wash off the slime before the next fight.  
   The Galra soldiers were arranged in a tight formation. In the middle of the formation walked one who was taller than the rest of the grunts. Even from where he stood, Lance could sense the regal bearing of the one in the middle.  
   The troop stopped about twenty feet away from them. The ranks opened, revealing the one they had seemingly been protecting. Tall, yes, very tall. Also purple with the weird yellow eyes, of course. Standard Galra features. His ears grew long and pointed, not unlike the ears of elves in movies Lance had seen back on Earth.  
   The peculiar thing about him was the long, long white hair that this one grew. Had he ever seen real hair like that on a Galra? He wasn't sure he had.  
   The tall white-haired one stepped out from the center of the troop, the formation once again closing tightly behind him. He took a few steps forward.  
   “Stop!” Allura commanded.  
   The Galra smiled--actually _smiled_!--and, wait, for real? Smiled and _bowed_ , white hair falling over his shoulders. “Princess Allura, I presume,” he said. Lance recognized it as the voice that had spoken before, saying that they _hadn't come to fight_ and all that. A quick look at the others showed that they, too, had made the connection.  
   “Who are you, if I may ask?” Allura responded. So calm, so collected, and yet fearful. Uncertain. Their victory on this planet had already been won, and thus far the Galra hadn't made any moves to recolonize the planets that Voltron had freed. They knew the paladins would be back again.  
   The Galra rose from his bow, not bothering to put his hair back into place. White locks framed his face, a face that was sharper and more angular than the faces of the Galra guard behind him. If circumstances were different, Lance might have thought that he was attractive.  
   “Prince Lotor of the Galra empire, pleased to make your acquaintance. I received word that you were here, and I thought it only fair that I come out to meet your group.” He took another step forward, testing how far he could go before someone would attack. “See, my father Zarkon was never one for formalities. But as the empire has fallen to me, it is now my turn to rule as I wish, is it not? It only makes sense that I become acquainted with the ones he fought so hard to defeat.” He raised his hands in the manner of one who was unarmed. “I truly mean you no harm as of this meeting.”  
   “Uh, yeah, I don’t trust this guy,” Hunk leaned forward to say to Allura. “Zarkon’s _kid_? Bad idea.”  
   Allura sighed. Lance knew that kind of sigh. It was the kind he had heard a thousand times, the kind that only came from frustrated people who were about ready to dig a hole and sleep in it for the next year and a half. Of _course_ she didn’t trust him either. She had already known Keith for awhile before they found out that he was part Galra, but that didn’t stop her from starting to doubt him when she heard the news. She had gotten over it with him since she knew that Keith really _was_ on their side, a part of their weird little space family, but this was so much different. A stranger, one who claimed Zarkon as his father, one who had taken up the rule of the empire, came striding from a large ship that nobody saw coming until it was already there and expected for everyone to just drop their weapons and accept him? What a load of shit.  
   “If we move quickly,” Pidge whispered, “we should be able to get back into our lions before he can do anything.” Keith nodded in agreement, though he made the decision to keep his mouth shut. Somehow. Maybe he finally realized that if he talked first and thought later that he’d just make things worse. He was a good guy, yeah, but Lance would be well and truly damned if he somehow turned out to be the kind of person who didn’t want to run headfirst into things without thinking about them.  
   “Why don’t we hear him out?” Lance gathered the courage to suggest. What he got in return was a bunch of looks that all seemed to say, _have you lost your mind?_ “Look, I’m just sayin’, if he has a ship that can appear without anybody seeing it, don’t you think he would’ve attacked already if he was going to? Galra aren’t known to be patient, right? No offense, Keith.”  
   Keith was about to throw out a snarky reply--probably something like, “At least I haven’t tipped Voltron over trying to kick something”--when the Galra, that _Prince Lotor_ , cleared his throat. “I understand your concerns, I do,” he said. “The blue one, however, is correct. Had I an interest in killing you today, you would already be dead.”  
   Pidge was the one who scoffed and said, “Is that supposed to make us feel better?”  
   A long moment of silence stretched out between the two groups, the soft chattering of the slug people who had stuck around to see what would happen being the only sound. Then, suddenly, Allura changed her stance from one of defense to one of proper formality. She walked towards the prince, ignored Keith practically hissing, “What are you _doing_?” behind her, and offered the same type of bow he had given her.  
   “I am my father’s daughter,” she said when she rose again. “And my father taught me the value of diplomacy. I'm surprised that we haven't met before now, Prince Lotor.”  
   “You should understand better than anyone what it's like to have a father who wants to make sure you're ready to take his place one day,” Lotor replied. “Though I suppose our species have rather different family dynamics.”  
   A _goldfish_ would be able to tell that Allura wanted nothing more than for her and the paladins to get back to the lions and fight this joker, but it was too late for that. _Diplomacy_. What a pain. “Indeed,” she said after a too-long moment.  
   Lotor chuckled. Actually _chuckled_. “Come, now. I know I'm hardly someone you would like to be speaking with at the moment, but the least you can do is remove your helmets. Or does courtesy not matter to the paladins of Voltron anymore? Diplomacy and courtesy have always been different, as I’m sure you lot are aware. And if we are to remain enemies as time progresses, I would at least enjoy one moment of peace between us now before we return to our war. Is that so much to ask from the Altean princess and her comrades?”  
   “Friends,” Allura corrected. “These are my friends, not just my comrades.”  
   “Then I would very much like to be introduced to them. I would introduce you to my company here, but I have to admit to only knowing a few of their names.” He shrugged. “Some of us do not have such close _friends_.”  
   “If you make any sudden movements, I will give the order for the castle’s weapons to be set upon you. We will not attack unprovoked.”  
   “Fair.” He looked over his shoulder at the soldiers behind him. “I will have you executed if you move without being told to do so. You'd do well to remember that.”  
   He was answered by a chorus of affirmatives.  
   There was a stark difference in confidence levels in that moment. Prince Lotor stood straight, no doubt showing in his eyes that the paladins would stay true to their word and not attack without due reason. The confidence of the paladins was less than sure. Galra weren't known to be quite patient, nor were they particularly honest save for a few exceptions. Lotor’s soldiers were at ease, yes, but…  
   When Allura began to remove her helmet--silently cursing _diplomacy_ and _courtesy_ as she did so--the others followed her lead. As her hair was freed from the constraint of the helmet, Lance couldn't help but wonder if having white hair was some kind of space royalty requirement. It was starting to seem like it was.  
   While they fussed with their helmets, Allura and Lotor met in the middle between their two groups. He held out his hand. She reluctantly accepted it and shook, though briefly. Shaking hands with a Galran prince set her hair on end.  
   “Truly, a pleasure to meet you in peace before another stretch of war,” Lotor said.  
   She nodded. “Of course. I suppose it is rather important to know one’s enemies.”  
   His eyes left hers and wandered over to the group. Allura took the hint and turned--halfway, not completely; she refused to turn her back on him--and began to introduce them, only by name. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out which one piloted which lion. His gaze lingered on each of them in turn. The small green one was Pidge, the large yellow one was Hunk, the red one was Keith as he had heard already from the blue one. He had heard rumors of the part Galran paladin, but seeing him in person was much different from hearing about him through stories. And last but not least, the blue one who had already revealed the identity of this  _Keith_ and had been the first one brave enough to listen to what Lotor had to say. Allura introduced him as Lance.  
   “The paladins of Voltron,” she concluded, turning back to face him completely. “The ones who will be the end of the Galran empire.”  
   “An impressive promise, surely. Surpassed only by an impressive beauty.”  
   “Excuse me?”  
   He grinned. “There's nothing more I could ask for. Such flawless brown skin and those stunning blue eyes. How could I resist?”  
   Discomfort raced across Allura’s face. “That's quite flattering, but--”  
   “Not _you_ ,” Lotor interjected before Allura could finish her sentence. “The blue paladin.”  
   Allura’s eyes widened and her jaw practically dropped to the ground. She wasn't the only one, either. The group was frozen in shock; had the prince decided to attack right then, he probably could have wiped them all out before they knew what was going on. Lotor stepped around Allura, walking straight towards Lance.  
   He stopped awfully close to him. “Hello, my beauty,” he said in a lowered voice, the kind that was meant to make people melt.  
   Lance blinked a few times, even threw a glance behind him to see if someone might have been standing behind him and he was in the way. There was no one. “ _Uh_.” He mentally kicked himself for uh being the first thing he said. “Y-You're talking to me, right?”  
   “Of course,” Lotor replied. “Who else would I be speaking to?” He reached out a brushed a stray hair of Lance’s back into place, causing a red blush to spread across his face. The prince’s fingers trailed down the side of Lance’s face and jaw, ending underneath his chin. Lotor raised his face to look him straight in the eyes. “I would rather enjoy getting to know you.”  
   The touch left Lance’s chin, but he couldn't quite bring himself to look away. His eyes didn't leave Lotor’s face until he felt his hand then trailing down his arm. Lotor dropped elegantly to one knee, taking Lance’s hand in his, and kissing it. Not once, not twice, but _six times_. Once on each of his fingers and a final kiss to the back of his hand.  
   Lance wasn't quite convinced that this wasn't a strange dream.  
   Lotor rose once more and whispered, a genuine _whisper_ , words meant only for Lance’s ears to hear. “Should you want it, I will always have a place for you. I will answer when you call, even when your friends do not.”  
   He then turned and walked away, barely nodding at the other paladins and saying his goodbyes to the princess. The company of soldiers he had brought followed behind him back up the ramp, into the dark interior of the ship. And just as quickly as he had arrived, he was gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry


	2. a place to go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a certain someone Lance can't quite get out of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that so many of you like this fic and wanted a second chapter, but I wrote one for you anyways! I may work on a third sometime soon. <3

    _I will always have a place for you. I will answer when you call, even when your friends do not._  
   That was what he said, but what did that _mean_? It wasn't like his friends were going to leave him abandoned on some desert planet, take away his lion, and not reply when he begged them over the communicator to take him back. They would never do that to him. He was a valued member of team Voltron, the blue paladin, a hero of the universe. Why would he ever need a place with _Lotor_ when he had all of this? He belonged in the castle, with his lion, with everyone.   
   With Shiro gone, every member of Voltron realized just how important they all were. If one more of them disappeared, _maybe_ Coran could take over a lion for a little while, but what happened if someone after that couldn't pilot their lion? The list of possible paladins was unfortunately short. Each and every one of them was essential to the team. They all needed to be there for each other and for the universe. For Earth, for their homes. Until the Galra empire was defeated, he had an irrevocable place among team Voltron.   
   Didn't he?

*

   There were all kinds of places in the universe, all kinds of people the Galra were taking advantage of. Gentle forest folk, genius engineers and scientists, meek cave dwellers, luminescent beings who looked like true angels. Even fierce warriors fell to the might of the Galra, all of their civilizations reduced to slave labor for the purpose of extending the empire.   
   Despite himself, Lance had hoped that maybe, just _maybe_ , Lotor wouldn't end up the way Zarkon had: hungry for power and control. He had been so eloquent and enchanting during their first encounter that it was hard to believe that someone like him could be capable of ruling a vast, cruel empire. He was no fighter, not with his manners and his hair. That was what Lance had convinced himself of between the time he met Lotor and the next planet they had to help.   
   Keith scolded Lance after that meeting. “You shouldn't have let him get so close to you,” he insisted. “What were you thinking? What were you gonna do if he pulled out a knife and stabbed you? You could've died!”  
   “It's not like _you_ could do anything either,” Lance replied. “I was in shock, okay? And you were too! You all were, so what right do you have to yell at me for being the one he came up to?” It felt like someone had just dumped a bucket full of rocks into his stomach. Did they really think he was so much of an idiot that he would have let the prince get close if he had been of right mind?  
   “You still need to be more careful. You're gonna get hurt one of these days if you keep doing this.”  
   Lance was helpless to stop the wave of disappointment from hitting him when Keith turned around and walked away without saying that he was important to the team. Any one of them could get hurt, so why was _he_ the one they scolded for the possibility? He was supposed to be one of them.   
   He dreamed about Lotor that night. _I will always have a place for you_ followed him even into sleep, resulting in his suddenly jerking awake several times. Dreams about the others turning their backs on him, dreams about him being unable to get home after they did, dreams about the only place he had to go being that of the prince.   
   A dream where Lotor had kissed more than just his hand.   
   Of course, he said nothing about any of the dreams. How could he? They'd all think there was something wrong with him if he did, they'd all wonder if Lotor had done something fucky with his head in those brief moments they had been touching. He'd get scolded again for something that wasn't his fault.   
   The dreams continued after that first night of them, each night worse than the one before it. He was spending more time awake, afraid of the pain his dreams would bring him, than he did sleeping. It was starting to affect him and everyone noticed. He stumbled out of his room in the morning, ate sluggishly, and had developed a habit of staring off with this blank expression on his face until someone yelled at him. His brain couldn't keep up with the frenzy of battle. Each and every time they got back to the castle after a fight, he got told off for having to have someone save his ass because he didn't notice something important. And Voltron was suffering, too. Without all five of their minds working well, it was getting harder and harder to manage.  
   They tried putting him in a healing pod for a few hours, thinking maybe it would help him somehow. It didn't.   
   Coran stayed up late one night talking to Lance as a father would; Allura had suggested that maybe, with Shiro gone, he needed another man to talk to. That didn't help either.   
   They changed his diet around where they could.  
   They kept him active during the day, hoping he'd be more tired at night.   
   Nothing helped.  
   And still he said nothing about the dreams.  
   They were preparing to go down to a beautiful planet dominated by spectacular gardens to free the king and queen from the tyrannical grasp of the Galra. The planet was rich in minerals, most of which contributed to the fertile soil that allowed the gardens to grow so beautifully. Before they headed out, Allura pulled Lance aside.   
   “Are you okay for this mission?” she asked. There was a motherly worry in her voice.   
   He tried to smile as convincingly as he could, even though he was dead tired. “You don't gotta worry about me, princess. I've got this.”  
   “Lance--”  
   “Seriously. I'm fine.” A lie.  
   The look on her face said that she wasn't buying it. After staring at him for a long moment, she finally said, “Say something if you need to retreat for awhile. We'll cover for you.”  
   He nodded. “Alright. I will.”  
   Frustration boiled up inside of him. _Retreat_? He hadn't been at his best lately and he knew that, but he didn't need to _retreat_ from anything, at least not alone. The only way he'd ever retreat was if it was a group decision. He wasn't going to run away on his own and leave them to fight for him, no matter how exhausted he was. He wasn't that kind of person.   
   His emotions fueled his fight. He had something to prove, now more than ever. He wasn't useless. He wasn't a burden. He wasn't a tired little boy that needed a nap while everyone else put their lives on the line. He was tired, yes, but he had become so much more than he was the last time he was on Earth. He was _one of them_. A paladin. The blue paladin of Voltron, the defender of the universe. He could hold his own even if he was sleep deprived.   
   He was not useless.   
   No amount of false confidence could make his brain function like it should. He could tell himself that he was good enough until Earthen pigs started to fly-- _Earthen_ pigs, since some alien pigs had already evolved to fly--but he still couldn't focus on everything that was going on around him. He could dodge that shot, he could slice that fighter in half, he could crush that one right after.   
   He didn't see the next projectile flying his way until it was too late and Keith was screaming in his ear about the incoming on his left. He didn't have time to dodge, didn't have time to do _anything_.   
   The shot landed. The blue lion went flying, he heard the various yells of “Lance!”, and he was aware of not being able to right himself or the lion before they crashed. Despite the helmet, he still hit his head hard enough to pass out.

*

   He woke up slowly, the soft babbling of an unseen brook gently pulling him from the grip of sleep. He blinked his eyes open and yawned. The sun had started to go down. The ache on the back of his head reminded him of the crash. Where was everyone? They should have found him by now. For that matter, where was _he_?  
   He realized that he was stretched out on a very comfortable outdoor sofa, sitting inside a gazebo with a dirt path leading off into the trees. His current placement lead to the realization that he wasn't in his lion. In fact, his lion was nowhere to be seen. Oh, great. Not this shit again. Did someone seriously steal Blue while he was knocked out? He was never going to hear the end of it.   
   His helmet sat on a table next to the sofa. He groaned and sat up before reaching for it.   
   A voice startled him. “You're awake. Did you have a nice nap?”  
   He slowly looked in the direction the voice was coming from. His breath caught in his throat. All he managed to say was, “ _You_.”  
   Prince Lotor smiled a smile that was too kind to belong to the ruler of the Galran empire. Should he even be called a _prince_ still? He was something more now, right? Not that it mattered too much. Lance was away from his lion and exposed and vulnerable. This time there was no promise of peace.   
   “I received word that your team was here,” Lotor said, making his way over to Lance at a leisurely pace. If he wanted to, if he well and truly wanted to, he could kill Lance right then and there and no one would know until they found his body. There was just one problem. He didn't want to kill Lance. He wouldn't mind wiping out the rest of them one by one, if only to protect the empire his father worked so hard to build, but not this one.   
   Never this one.   
   “What do you want?” Lance forced himself to ask. “Did you bring me here?”  
   “Yes,” Lotor replied. He made it to the sofa and sat down next to Lance without any hesitation. “I got here just in time to see you crash. Oh, don't look so alarmed. Your lion is fine. I left it just where I found it.”  
   Wait, “What?”  
   “I was being honest when I said that I would like to get to know you, Lance. What, you think your team worries me so much that I'd come out here to fight them myself? Oh, please. My father was a fool. A strong fool, yes, but a fool nonetheless. He tried too hard to become too involved in the fight. I am not my father.” He crossed his arms and smiled again. “I came only with the hope that I could get you alone, not that I would see your demise today. And it looks like I was just lucky enough for such a meeting. While my soldiers are out there fighting your comrades, you and I are going to talk.”  
   Lance swallowed hard, remembering what the princess had said to Lotor the last time he had used that word. “Friends. My friends.”  
   “Is that what they are, truly?”  
   “Of course,” he said, quickly enough that he thought that maybe, somehow, he was trying to convince himself of it.   
   “That's not what your eyes say,” Lotor said. He suddenly reached over and grabbed Lance’s face in one hand, forcing him to look the prince in the eyes. “Your eyes show doubt, my dear. You are not convinced that they see you the same way you see them.”

   Lance couldn't pull away. Lotor was strong, stronger than Lance was after having crashed and having hit his head. “T-That's not true,” he said.   
   “Isn't it?”  
   “They care about me. They're going to come for me soon.”  
   “Oh, I'm sure they will. And what will they have to say when they find you? Will they praise you for what you did while you were in the battle or will they berate you for having been knocked out of it?”  
   Lance didn't answer.   
   Lotor let go of his face. “As I thought. You question their feelings for you. Tell me, when was the last time they made you feel inferior?”  
   “That's none of your business,” Lance told him. “What happens between me and them stays between me and them. I won't tell you anything that you could use against us.”  
   Lotor’s hand didn't leave Lance’s personal space, just relocated from holding his face to petting his hair. “Then grab your helmet. Tell them you're awake and safe, that _I’m_ here. Wait for them to get here just to find you alone. They won't be pleased if you tell them you found the enemy leader and let him get away. That would tear your team apart far more than telling me how you feel ever could.”  
   There was no lie in his voice. He would do that to Lance. He would let him call for help, tell them that he had encountered Lotor, and by the time someone got there, the prince would be long gone. And Lance would look like an idiot _again_. They would blame him for letting the enemy get away, even if it was just him by himself against the leader of the _Galran empire_. They'd be disappointed in him like he ever stood a chance to begin with.   
   He sighed and sat back, staring at his balled fists resting on his lap. He made no move to remove Lotor’s hand from the top of his head. “I'm not a child,” he muttered. “It's not my fault.”  
   Lotor scooted a bit closer. “Of _course_ it isn't, dearest. No one means for things to go wrong. They're wrong to blame you for things beyond your control.”   
   “They're gonna be mad that I got hit so bad. How is it my fault that I can't sleep?”  
   Closer. “Why can't you sleep, darling one?”  
   “I keep having these _dreams_. They make it hard to sleep.”  
   Closer. “Dreams about what?”  
   Lance looked over. He startled when he saw how close Lotor had gotten while he wasn't looking. He was _right there_. His hand left Lance’s head only so he could wrap that arm around his shoulders. “You,” Lance admitted in a nearly silent breath.   
   Lotor rested his other hand on Lance’s thigh. His voice went low when he said, “You know, they say that your dreams mean something, that they come from thoughts locked deep in your mind. Perhaps this is a bit conceited of me to suggest, but it makes me think you've been thinking about what I told you the last time we met.”  
   “I have, actually.” Another soft admittance he hadn't fully meant to share. “I've been trying to understand what you meant.”  
   “I meant just what I said, dear. Your _friends_ seem to spend more time ignoring or reprimanding you than they do giving you the praise you deserve.” Lotor didn't have to hold Lance’s face to keep their eyes locked this time. That blue, more beautiful than the sky, deeper than the sea… utterly enchanting. He knew that Lance was just a human, a species that didn't have yellow eyes the way the Galra did, and yet something kept Lance’s gaze. Somehow or another, Lotor found that he quite enjoyed it. “If you ever decide to leave them, if you ever need somewhere to go, I will accept you. Find one of my men and he will bring you to me.”  
   “I can't do that.”  
   “Not right now, I understand. But one day, mark my words, they will leave you behind. Come to me when they do, Lance. I will take care of you.” He leaned in, his forehead touching Lance’s. “I will treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Kindly. With love. I will never let you doubt your worth to me.”  
   Lance’s heart was racing at a thousand miles an hour, his face burned. This blush was different from the one he had showed Lotor the first time they met; this one was stronger, more widespread. It brought fierce red to his cheeks, his ears, his neck. The beautiful brown that Lotor had fallen in love with was stained with that red. Somehow, Lotor thought, it made Lance even more beautiful.   
   Lance could feel the heat of his own rushing blood. He had been kissed before, but had anyone ever gotten this _close_ to him before? He didn't remember-- _couldn't_ remember. He was having trouble remembering what he had said five minutes ago.   
   No, he thought, they hadn't. No one had ever been this close. Nobody had talked to him that way, looked at him that way, _touched_ him that way. Logically he knew that this was fucked up, that he should break away and grab his helmet and call for the others. This man was who knew how old, probably an asshole when he wasn't layering on the sweet talk, and the _leader of the Galran empire_.   
   At that exact moment, however, logic had taken a backseat to the indescribable feeling pulsing through his veins. He knew what he needed to do, what he _should_ do, but… he reached out a shaky hand and grabbed at the the royal-looking coat Lotor wore.  
   Lotor took advantage of the invitation. Without a moment’s hesitance, he closed the remaining gap between them and pressed his lips to Lance’s. Softly at first, letting it sink in that this was happening. Then Lance pressed back, and what reason did Lotor have anymore to be so gentle?  
   Lance’s first kiss had been short, sweet, and to the point. It had been with a girl with short blonde hair, all the way back in middle school. On a dare from her friends. Even if it had been a dare, even if he had gone a long time since then without feeling anyone else’s lips against his, it had never become an unpleasant memory.   
   This was different. Not quite forceful, but rough and with purpose. It was the kind of kiss that could make people forget even the most important of things. It made not only Lance’s face hot but his entire body, driving him crazy and making every rational thought abandon him.   
   He felt like he was going to fucking _explode_.   
   Lotor suddenly pulled away, looking off into the trees opposite the direction he had come. Lance opened his eyes and followed Lotor’s gaze, seeing nothing. Lotor mumbled what might have been a curse under his breath. He took his hands away from Lance and Lance slowly, reluctantly, did the same.   
   “You've done nothing wrong,” Lotor assured him. “Your team is on their way. It would cause us both trouble if they were to see us this way, wouldn't it?” Lance nodded. “Precisely. As much as I hate to do this, my dearest, I must leave before they arrive. I'm sure all of this will remain between the two of us, yes?”  
   “Y-Yeah,” Lance promised. “Of course.”  
   “Good. Tell them when they get here that one of the natives must have found you and brought you here. Make no mention of me.”  
   “I won't.”  
   Lotor smiled and quickly kissed Lance’s forehead. “Until the next time we see each other, then. Look forward to it.”  
   He moved fast, standing and walking away. His long, long legs carried him into the trees, back the way he came.   
   He heard the other four before he saw them, all of them yelling his name. He swallowed and took a deep breath before calling out to them. They came along the dirt path, running towards him as fast as they could. He assured them that he was okay, really, he was fine. They told him that they had found his lion empty, that they had been concerned that something awful had happened to him.   
   He just shook his head and told them that he woke up on this sofa, that maybe some native had seen him crash and pulled him out. He was fine, really. He would be fine, really, he swore.   
   Even if he would be scolded for not paying attention, even if they would yell at him for running into battle without being properly rested, he was sure of something now.   
   There was someone he could go to, someone who would genuinely accept him. A place to go.   
   He would be just fine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sinner and I'll see all of you in hell


	3. a place to stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan was simple: ask around to try to find someone and leave. But when do things ever go according to plan?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so there's some mild sinning in here??? I think I'm gonna change the rating from T to M just to be safe and pls have mercy because I have no idea what I'm doing

   Lance slept like a rock every night for a week and a half after what happened on the garden planet. He no longer woke from his dreams about the prince feeling like he had been watching himself drown. His regular, messy dreams about home were starting to come back. It seemed like all he needed to snap his head back into place was to see Lotor again.   
   He had had a lot of time to think about what happened that day since it happened. He was sure he hadn't said anything that Lotor could use against them, so he technically hadn't done anything wrong, right? All he had said was that he was tired, that he had been dreaming about the prince. And then they had kissed. He kissed Zarkon’s son.   
   And he couldn't bring himself to regret it.  
   It was more of a moral issue than anything else. He hadn't said anything he shouldn't have, so the team was still safe. Lotor didn't know anything that he could turn into a weapon. At the end of it all, though, the two of them were on opposite sides of the war. They were standing as close to the line between their teams as they could, leaning forward and touching without touching the other side.   
   At night when he was laying in bed waiting for sleep to come, he tried convince himself that there was nothing wrong with that. As long as he didn't stray, as long as he didn't cross that line and change sides, he wasn't doing anything wrong. He wasn't betraying anyone. He wasn't hurting anyone.   
   In fact, he thought, he was helping himself. How many nights had he laid awake in that bed, wondering if he really had any use? How many times had the others teased him, scolded him, not given him a solid chance? Were the times that they did praise him enough to wipe away all of the hurt he felt when he couldn't get anything right? No. They weren't. The occasional “Good job, Lance” or the one time Shiro called him their sharpshooter wasn't enough. Because when it came down to it, a few praises couldn't overrule all of the times he had felt like he didn't belong there. Like everyone around him had something special about them that secured their place in the team but all he had was a reputation of flirting with cute girls.   
   Nobody told him why they kept him around. Nobody told him that he was a fantastic shot, that he was talented, that the team needed him around. Somehow it had gotten worse since Shiro disappeared, too. Shiro had occasionally defended him, but with Shiro gone… things weren't going so well for him.   
   Even if he was technically the enemy, Lotor didn't hesitate to put his hands on Lance. He was so sweet to Lance, talking kindly and never using too much force for anything. More than once, Lance found himself falling asleep imagining that he was safe in Lotor’s arms. Safe, warm, protected, _loved_.   
   That wasn't such a bad thing, was it?

*

   “I've heard that someone in this city may know something about Shiro,” Allura told them when the castle landed. “Unfortunately, the only information I received was a name. I hate to even suggest this, but we need to split up to cover as much ground as possible.”  
   “What's the name?” Keith asked.   
   “Altair. He's a scientist who specializes in theoretical physics.” Allura sighed. “I don't know how long this will take or if we'll even find him, but we must try. If he truly knows something about Shiro, we must find him. Coran, will you please watch the castle for me?”  
   It wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to say that Coran pouted. Poor guy. He wanted to go out on adventures with everyone, too, but there was no one else to watch the castle. Even though he had clearly been hoping he'd get to go along with everyone, he accepted the task without any verbal complaint. Coran flew the castle out of the atmosphere; it was too dangerous to leave it parked anywhere.   
   The city was made of tall sandstone buildings, dusty bricks reaching towards the vast expanse of blue sky. The paladins and the princess wore plain clothes; there was no telling if there were any Galra scouts in the area, so they had to make sure they blended into the crowd as much as possible. The planet hadn't yet been conquered, but the stars knew how long it would be before it was. That was the way the empire worked. Sooner or later, they aimed to have complete control of the universe and every planet in it.   
   Lance was surprised that he was allowed to go off on his own after everything they'd been through lately. Prince Lotor was interested in him, he had been sleep deprived and was knocked out cold during a battle. It was a miracle that everyone went their own ways, having agreed to meet back at the city gates before sundown. He was glad that they still thought that he was at least slightly capable, but he had to admit that being set loose in a strange city was a bit nerve wracking. Without their suits and their bayards, they'd have to rely on their own physical abilities to keep them safe.  
   Oh boy. He wasn't _completely_ helpless, but what if he got way in over his head? What if he asked the wrong person for information and got his lights knocked out? God, if he got knocked out _again_ and the team had to come looking for him _again_ , he was going to be humiliated beyond anything words could convey.  
   He mentally kicked himself. He could handle this. It wasn't a particularly difficult mission, just one he had never done before. It would be fine. Walk around, ask some people if they knew where he could find Altair the theoretical physicist, and rinse and repeat until he needed to be back at their meeting place. He could do this. He was a paladin of Voltron for a reason. What kind of paladin couldn't ask some strangers the same question over and over again? A bad one, probably. He was not a bad paladin.   
   He asked the first person. They didn't know anyone by the name of Altair. Lance nodded and thanked them anyways before he moved on.   
Rinse and repeat, that was all there was to it. Rinse and repeat.   
   Rinse and repeat for at _least_ three hours straight without getting a single piece of useable information. Apparently Altair wasn't popular, considering that maybe two of the people he had asked knew who he was but didn't know where to find him. Hopefully the others were having more luck. It would figure that everyone else was getting all kinds of valuable intel but all he got was told “no” and something that was probably the local language version of “fuck off.”  
   An old lady caught him for a conversation. It turned out that it didn't matter what planet you were on; the old ladies everywhere would spend forever telling you a story you didn't care about. It was endearing usually, but he was _busy_. Busy trying to find info on a teammate so they could find him and save the universe. Old lady stories had no part in that. He was about at his limit of how long he could listen to her when she _finally_ realized that he had other things he needed to do.   
   She didn't even know anything about Altair. All she talked about was some scientist she used to know, some dude with a name at least twenty letters long. He got away from her as fast as he could in that crowd. He had ended up in what seemed to be a marketplace with all sorts of strange food vendors and a few stalls selling dishes and such.   
   He ducked into an empty alleyway as soon as he was away from the marketplace. He leaned against the wall of one of the buildings and sighed heavily. He wasn't getting anywhere with this search. There was probably a better way to go about it, but damn if he could figure out what it was. He slowly slid down the wall and ended up sitting on the ground, head pressed against his knees and arms wrapped around his legs.  
   He wanted to go home. Not to the group, not to the castle, not even to Blue. Earth. He wanted to go back to Earth, back to his family. There had never been a shortage of people to go to for advice at home. No matter what was bothering him, there was someone who knew just what to say. He missed his mom the most. God, she always knew just how to help him. She’d make cookies and they'd sit on the couch together and he would tell her _everything_ that was upsetting him and somehow she _always_ made him feel better.   
   And if she wasn't available for some reason, there were a seemingly infinite number of other family members he could turn to. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even that guy who sold hot dogs down by the beach. That guy wasn't _technically_ family, but he had always been so close to the family that he kinda counted. He missed that beach. He missed everything about Earth.   
   Fuck saving the universe. He wanted to go _home_.   
   He raised his head and opened his eyes. _No_ , he told himself. He couldn't just sit in that alley forever and feel sorry for himself. If he was going to convince the others that he wasn't a total idiot, that he did have something to contribute to the team, he had to pick himself up and go right back out there to complete his mission.   
   “There you are, Lance,” someone said from where the alley opened into the street. He was silent for a moment, staring back at the figure who stared at him.   
   “How'd you know I was here?” he eventually asked.   
   “That is of no consequence,” Lotor said, stepping further into the alley towards Lance. “Though, if you must know, I've told my soldiers to keep an eye out for you and to report to me whenever you might be alone.”  
   “So…. you're stalking me?”  
   “Hardly. I just want to know when I can see you privately. Is that so wrong of me?” He held out a hand. Lance took it and let Lotor help him up off the ground. “Come, now. You're going to get filthy if you make a habit of sitting in alleyways like this. You're too beautiful to be in this darkness.”  
   “I was just taking a break,” Lance said. “It's not like I was planning on staying there very long.”  
   Lotor put a hand on Lance’s face, smiling in that beautiful way that set Lance’s heart racing. “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to a nicer part of town?” he asked. “I know a lovely place we could go, just the two of us.”  
   He wanted to say yes so badly he could taste it. Instead of saying what he really wanted to, he forced himself to whisper a sad, “I can't. I'm here on a mission. I have to keep working.”  
   Lotor’s hand moved from Lance’s face to his waist; he moved his hands a lot, Lance noticed, like he wanted to touch as much as he could in what little time they had each time they met. “Do you?” he asked in a tone that sent shivers down Lance’s spine. “From what I understand, you aren't on this planet alone, even if you are by yourself. All of you have been chasing the same goal all day, haven't you? Judging by the state I found you in, your part isn't going very well. Would it truly cause so much harm to spend some time with me instead of making yourself miserable this way?”  
   He had a point, as hard as it was to admit. Lance hadn't found a single useful piece of information in the hours he had been at it. The others were probably having better luck, too, since they all seemed to be so much better at their jobs than he was. It came down once again to logic versus what he wanted; logically, the next person he talked to might know something about the man they were looking for. And if not that person, then the one after that. Any of the people walking around out there could know _everything_ about Altair and he wouldn't find out because he had run off to hang out with Lotor.   
   He wanted to hang out with Lotor more than he could describe. Seeing him in the flesh and not just in a dream was always so _nice_. Hearing his voice, feeling his touch. How could he say no to him when he kept hitting dead ends with what he was supposed to be doing?  
   He ignored the guilt that hit him when he said, “I guess I could spare some time.”

*

   Lance had the distinct feeling that he wasn't meant to be in a place like that. Lotor had brought him to a building that was rather short in comparison to the ones around it, being only six levels high not counting the rooftop dining area. Of course, it wasn't the height of the building that made him think he was just a bit out of place.   
   He felt out of place because it was the nicest fucking restaurant he'd ever stepped foot in. And he was wearing the clothes he had been wearing when he left Earth. But that wasn't even the best part! No, the best part was that Lotor approached the hostess and told her his name and she took them _straight_ to a table. He had _planned_ this. He had set up a fucking _reservation_ for them. The only thing that kept him from freaking out was the smile he got when they were seated and given menus.   
   “I apologize for surprising you like this,” Lotor said, reaching out across the table. He didn't speak again until Lance took the hint and his hand. “You must understand, dear. I heard that you were all alone in a strange city and I couldn't just leave you to wander the streets all by yourself.”  
   Lance was dumbfounded for a minute there. “But… reservations? How? So quickly?”  
   Lotor chuckled, his laugh low and deep without being scary. “I am the ruler of an empire, you remember. There is little that I am unable to do.”  
   “Evidently.”  
   “Are you angry with me? I will admit, it would have been more proper for me to consult you before making plans for the two of us.”  
   Lance shook his head. “Of course I'm not angry. Just, uh, struggling to catch up, I guess. I don't understand any of this.”  
   “What don't you understand?”  
   “ _Why_? I mean, why me? Why did you single me out and not Allura or Keith or--”  
   “Hush, dear. One does not make decisions for his heart. _It_ makes decisions for _him_. Mine seems to have decided that I want _you_ , not any of the others.” Lance was silent. “What's wrong? Did I say something that upset you?”  
   It took all of his strength not to start crying. “Nobody’s ever said that,” he said, quietly as not to strain himself. He'd be so humiliated if he started crying in a place like that. “Nobody’s ever said that they wanted me. T-The team says that they need me, but that's just because Blue likes me, right? Because they need a paladin, not because they need _me_.”  
   Lotor gently squeezed Lance’s hand. “They are fools if they can't see your true worth,” he said. “You deserve the world, the sky, and all of the stars this universe has to offer. Stay with me, Lance, and I will give them to you.”  
   In the time Lance was silent, a waiter came to take their order. Neither of them had even glanced at their menus; Lotor waved his free hand and asked simply for the highest quality, most expensive thing they had. The waiter went red in the face, advising that it may not be wise to make such an order as their food was of the highest _local_ quality, not the highest quality in the entire _galaxy_. Local food had a tendency to disagree with foreigners, he said, especially the more bizarre, higher end meals.   
   All Lotor had to do was send a glare his way and the waiter stuttered, “Y-Yes, s-sir, I'll h-have that right out.”  
   While they waited for their meal, Lance struggled to keep up with the endless flow of praise Lotor gave him. He had such beautiful eyes, such flawless skin, such wonderfully soft hair, the most pleasant voice. Lotor had seen how he was in battle when reviewing data logs, he said, and he was amazed by the sheer conviction with which he fought. So strong, so brave, loyal, daring, and so incredibly impressive with that gun of his. Lance’s comrades were so lucky to have him on their side, so blind for not being able to see how _valuable_ he was. How important. How special, needed, and how absolutely perfect he was.   
   When their food arrived, their conversation veered away from praise and to what they would do after they were done eating. The meal was surprisingly light, so they would still be able to do anything they wanted to without feeling like their stomachs would rupture.   
   Lance said that he would follow Lotor’s lead.   
   Lotor’s lead ended up being to a place a few blocks away, up to the top floor of… uh, was this really happening? This place was a _hotel_. A very nice hotel, but a hotel nevertheless.   
   Lance hesitated at the door of the room, the door Lotor held open for him. “I mean, I know you bought me dinner and everything, but--”   
   “I didn't bring you here with foul intentions,” Lotor cut him off. “I'm aware of how this looks, but truly, my only intention is to be able to sit and talk privately with you until you decide if you will return to the others or stay with me.”  
   He walked inside.   
   And Lotor didn't lie to him. Despite the extravagant bed--absurdly large and incredibly soft with a canopy draping down around it--and the view from the window that put the entire city on display, the prince made no attempt to do anymore than hold Lance against his chest.   
   There had always been an obvious size difference between Lance and the Galra he laid next to; Lotor was the perfect example of a prince with his manners, his looks, and his _height_. The difference had never seemed so large as it did when they were so close. He had imagined this scenario several times, but not one of his fantasies had accurately portrayed what it was really like. He had never felt so physically small in all his life, nor had he ever felt so secure.   
   But Lotor was merciless when it came to asking Lance why he stayed with people who made him feel the way they did, why he would ever let anyone convince him that he was less than flawless. Lance didn't have a good answer.   
   It was true he often felt under appreciated. Keith had always been showing him up, ever since they first met, always being an unreachable goal. Pidge was a complete genius, no two ways about it. Hunk may have occasionally had a weak stomach, but he was one of the most skilled engineers Lance had ever met. And where could he even begin when it came to Shiro? Shiro was the kind of person anyone would admire. Then there was Allura, a literal space princess who could easily kick Lance’s ass into next week. And Coran, who may have appeared to be just a silly uncle figure but was actually the one who kept them all from falling apart limb from limb.   
   Was _I do it for the universe_ really a good answer? The universe would be fine if he wasn't there. They'd find another blue paladin sooner or later, a better paladin. One who was worthy of the title. Lance wasn't anything _special_. There were a million other people just like him and any of them could easily take his place.   
   “That's not true,” Lotor whispered, a kind whisper meant to put Lance at ease. “You could never be replaced.” He ran his fingers through Lance’s hair. “If they are unable to appreciate you, they are nothing but a group of imbeciles. They don't deserve to have you on their team if this is the way they make you feel. Stay with me, Lance. Let me take care of you.”  
   “You're already taking care of me,” Lance said, pulling away from Lotor just far enough to look at his face. It was true that he was purple, had yellow eyes that may or may not glow in the dark, had the ears of an elf, and the hands of some horror movie monster, but he didn't scare Lance. In fact, he was a sight for sore eyes. “Just you taking the time for me is enough.” Before Lotor could say anything more, Lance went in for a kiss.   
   A kiss that Lotor was naturally eager to reply to.   
   Lance wasn't exactly brilliant when it came to kissing and he knew it. He was more used to hugs, honestly. Still, he had seen enough movies and read enough that he could figure it out as he went. It wasn't _that_ hard. It also helped that Lotor took the lead; frankly, Lance was scared to ask just how old the prince was and just how many people he had been with, but none of that mattered right then.   
   Seeing people kiss was always gross, especially the people who did it in public. They looked like they were trying to devour each other face first and it was certainly _not_ a pleasant thing to see. Actually kissing was different. It put it into perspective why everyone made such a big deal about it, why kissing was such a huge part of everything.   
   This was different from the last time they kissed. More intense. There was more fire behind it, more feeling, and a lot more saliva. Which was surprisingly less gross than he had thought it would be. There was also significantly more tongue and lip biting, making Lance’s face turn that beautiful shade of red again.   
   Lance got a short break to catch his breath when Lotor pulled away to readjust to a more comfortable position. He sat up and pulled Lance onto his lap in a fluid motion and then continued on with what he had been doing before. Kissing him was dizzying and breathtaking and absolutely heavenly.   
   This was how he deserved to be treated. Lotor stopped kissing him again, this time go grab Lance’s hair and not-so-gently pull to get him to expose his throat. There was no doubt in Lance’s mind that the prince could bite straight through his skin and tear him open and watch him bleed out, but not now. No, now Lotor was kissing and occasionally sucking, hard enough to make Lance moan but not enough to leave any noticeable marks.   
   And Lance was _gone_. His brain officially stopped trying to produce rational thoughts. Long fingers slipped under his shirt, leaving trails of heat wherever they went. There was nothing _but_ heat. It was no longer just the kiss that had fire behind it. His entire body was being consumed by that flame, by that unquantifiable desire welling up inside of him.   
   Lotor bit at the lobe of his ear. His voice was low and rough, absolutely _maddening_ , when he said, “You're so beautiful, Lance. Let me see more of you.”  
   He was willing to comply. It was easy enough to ditch his jacket, harder to ditch the shirt. Even harder to try to get Lotor out of his stupid royal bullshit. The feeling of Lotor’s bare chest against his was worth the hassle. There was just one problem with the current situation. Just one thing that the mouth on his throat and the hand tangled in his hair couldn't deal with.   
   The hand that _wasn't_ tangled in his hair, however, could do a thing or two for him. That hand set about unbuttoning his pants and yanking the zipper down. Lance’s breath came in the form of desperate panting. He wanted this so bad, every last bit of it. He _needed_ it.   
   And then Lotor was pulling at the elastic band of Lance’s underwear, moving it out of the way and wrapping his hand--  
   “ _Please_ ,” was the only word that came to mind.   
   A loud sound from outside startled them both. Lance recognized it immediately and every sane thought that had evacuated came rushing back in. That was the sound of one of the lions roaring. Something was wrong. Someone was in trouble, someone was fighting, and there he was in a fancy hotel room, on a fancy bed, with the Galran prince touching--okay, he wasn't going to finish that thought. He had to go.   
   This was not a place to stay. He made a mental note to ask Allura to kick his ass later; he'd leave out the details, but he'd tell her that he wasn't paying attention to the mission like he should have been. He was off relaxing when that lion came into play. He deserved to have his ass kicked, really. God, what was he _thinking_?  
   “You're really going to go running to them?” Lotor asked when Lance pulled away and rushed to get his clothes on and all back in place. “After everything they've done to you?”  
   Lance looked back at Lotor before he opened the door. “I figured out why I stay with them,” he said. “I want to help people and every single time I fight with them and we win, I do help. That's what it means to be a paladin of Voltron.”  
   He left before Lotor could have the chance to charm him back to bed. Besides, the thought of whatever fight might be happening out there killed every shred of arousal pretty damn quick.

*

   He could've stayed at the hotel. It had turned out to just be Red running to the rescue when someone tried to mug Keith. Even if it turned out to be nothing serious--Keith could take care of himself--Lance couldn't help but feel ashamed for having been in that hotel in the first place.   
   When they were all back in the castle, they took their seats in the control room and let out a collective sigh of pure exhaustion.   
   “I got nothin’,” Pidge admitted first.   
   “Neither did I,” Hunk followed.   
   Lance cleared his throat and said, “I found, like, two people who had heard of him but didn't know anything about him. Does that count?”  
   “If only it did,” Allura replied. The look on her face said that her search didn't turn up anything either.   
   Keith stood. “I found something.” Everyone immediate looked at him. “Before that guy tried to rob me, I met a shopkeeper who said Altair had been in the city until just a couple of days ago when Galra scouts started showing up. He's been missing ever since. They must have taken him prisoner somewhere.”  
   “So, what now? We find out where they took him and bust him out?” Pidge asked.   
   “I guess so,” Keith said. “Allura? What's our next move?”  
   She looked like she wanted nothing more than to go to bed for another ten thousand years. Instead, she told them, “Alright. Let’s find him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEE Y'ALL IN HELL B Y E


	4. a place to belong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a battle where they have no time, where Lance keeps getting further and further away. Nobody was quite prepared for what they'd find when they followed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I finally finished this! I'm gonna go ahead and say that I don't think this is my best work but listen: it's literally 1:45am right now. It could be worse. I hope it's still good!

   Whoever this Altair guy was better be worth it. Pidge had been looking for her family from the very beginning and she was only now starting to get leads--one lead in particular, that video clip showing Matt in a situation that made him look like a rebel leader--and there was no way to tell exactly where he was. So yeah, Lance wasn't exactly optimistic when it came to finding Altair to get information from him that might not even be what they really needed. Who knew how many prisons the Galra had set up around the universe? What was even the guarantee that Altair was in a prison and not being used as slave labor in a mime somewhere, in a laboratory, in a factory? There was no telling where he was. They were going on a wild goose chase for someone they didn't even know.   
   He was a theoretical physicist. What would he even know about Shiro? The black paladin wasn't a theory. He was a man, a _good_ man that they needed back. Everyone had been thrown off when he disappeared and the only way to make things right again was to find him and bring him back. Maybe, Lance thought, things would get easier when he was back. Maybe he wouldn't be the team punching bag anymore. Maybe he wouldn't feel like he had to seek comfort in the arms of the enemy leader. Hopefully Keith wouldn't keep him so busy that he didn't have time to come to Lance’s rescue once in awhile; Lance didn't know exactly what kind of shit those two got up to, but he was willing to bet that it wasn't tame. Fucking Keith, even getting one up on him by dating Shiro. They had known each other for a while, sure, but it seemed so _unfair_.   
   Keith had everything, didn't he? He was an astounding pilot. He was a brave warrior. He was strong. He was a bit rash, sure, but his abilities more than made up for his character flaws. He was part Galra and had been on their side from the very beginning. He even had Shiro, the nearly perfect black paladin. The only thing Lance had that Keith didn't was Blue, but did that even count when Keith had Red? And they wondered why he was defensive about Keith. They wondered why he was so sarcastic and irritated around him. He had been chasing after Keith ever since the Garrison and they expected all of that to just go away?  
   Hunk had found someone, too. Even if Shay was an alien girl, she was a nice alien girl. She admired Hunk and cared about him; she looked forward to his every visit. It was more than just a matter of him helping to save her and her feeling gratitude. The Arusians had felt gratitude towards Lance when he pitched in there. Shay felt love towards Hunk. And he loved her too, as far as Lance was aware.   
   Pidge always said that she didn't have time for dating. She was always working on some crazy piece of machinery or trying to figure out the secrets of the universe, after all. She was more than happy to live her own life. Besides, until she found her family, she wasn't going to get caught up with someone else. She had to find them.   
   Coran and Allura obviously had larger concerns too. They kept the paladins together. They kept them from falling apart or dying horribly. Without them to watch over them, without those two backing them up whenever they needed it, Lance was sure at least one of the paladins would already be dead. They had the horribly demanding job of keeping the paladins alive, God have mercy on their souls. They deserved better pay.   
   They deserved at least some form of pay to begin with.   
   But with even how everyone else seemed infinitely more important, what he had said to Lotor was true. Voltron helped people. It freed those whose freedom had been taken from them. It protected the little guys who couldn't protect themselves from the bullies on the playground. He was a part of something bigger. Each and every day he went out there and fought with them, he was we helping someone. Giving someone hope. Being a hero like every kid wanted to be when they grew up. He was lucky enough to be able to fulfill that dream, even if it was in a rather untraditional kind of way. There was nothing that felt quite as good as helping people.   
   But he knew that he couldn't help everyone. And maybe one day off in the future, nobody would need that help anymore. Nobody would need him anymore. Nobody would ask him for his help anymore.   
   Nothing hurt as bad as that.

*

   “Watch out!”  
   “I know, I've got him!”  
   “Why did he bring so many?!”  
   They were being surrounded, vastly outnumbered, and incredibly overpowered. All because of the massive ship in the sky that had appeared a few minutes ago, out from which poured more soldiers and fighter jets. The last time any of them had seen that ship was… how long ago was it now? With everything going on, the passage of time was easy to lose track of. Maybe a more understandable term was the last _place_ they saw it, since time was irrelevant and meant nothing as long as they were desperately trying to find one of their friends. It was on the slug dudes’ planet, the first time they met him.   
   There wasn't even any time to form Voltron. As soon as one fighter was down, the next one was already there. The lions were taking a beating and everyone was screaming and exhausted and there was just _no time_. It was starting to look like they'd have to retreat soon if they all wanted to make it out alive. Survival didn't seem very probable without a strategic retreat.   
   And along with everything else, Lance kept getting herded farther and farther away from everyone. He could just _tell_ wasn't an accident or a coincidence, that this was on purpose. The way more just kept flying straight to him like he was the ultimate target was becoming more and more obvious as the seconds and minutes ticked by. They were cutting him off and leading him somewhere. He could guess where they were trying to take him.  
   “Lance, are you okay?” Keith asked, a bit louder than usual. He rushed over and sliced through some of the fighters that were headed towards Lance. “Why do they keep flocking towards you?”  
   “How should I know? But yeah, I'm fine, I've got this!” he replied. “You've got incoming from above! Watch yourself before you start worrying about me.”  
   He kept his observation about what was really happening to himself. In his heart he knew that no matter how many fighters he or anyone else took out, Lotor wouldn't harm him for it. He might even be impressed depending on how well Lance fought against his enemies, a thought that made him fight a little harder. The idea of Lotor telling him that he was impressed with his fighting, even if it was against his own soldiers, sent a thrill down his spine. He wanted that so bad.   
    _No_ , he told himself. Right now he couldn't afford to just get swept away. His friends were fighting together and he had no right to be the only one who got a break, said specially for such a stupid reason as wanting to be praised by his… whatever Lotor was to him at this point. Boyfriend? No, no, nothing that proper. Almost-boyfriend. They hadn't actually slept together so he couldn't call them anything thing like “friends with benefits.” He had no earthly idea what their relationship could be categorized as.   
   He slashed through the curtain of jets separating him and the others, only to have the hole close back up before he could get through. They left no spaces for his lion to get through. If they had anything to say about it, he wasn't getting anywhere that they didn't want him to go.   
   The others were bound to notice eventually and try to come to his rescue. Keith had already seen it, but not quite on the full scale. If he didn't do _something_ and do it _fast_ , everyone would realize that he was being targeted in particular. They'd see him being sectioned off and think that he was in some awful mess that he needed to be saved from like he was a child and he couldn't live with that. That was when he had an idea.   
   “I'm gonna try to lure these guys away!” he announced proudly. “Knock out as many as you can and I'll bring ‘em back when you're ready!”  
   “Be careful, Lance!” Allura warned. “You're sure you can handle all of those?”  
   “Absolutely,” he confirmed.  
   It wasn't a total lie that he was going to lure them away. If he ran, they'd follow. They'd keep trying to push him in the direction he was supposed to go. He'd keep wiping out the ones that got too close, naturally, since he didn't want to be totally fucking useless and keep laying more burden on the shoulders of everyone else. But he knew Lotor’s game.   
   He liked games. They were fun.   
   This was fun. Somehow, Lotor was making him regularly have a good time. Huh. Who would've thought?  
   This part of the planet was reminiscent of the Balmera. There were large expanses of caves underneath a flat, dirty, dusty surface. The only trees that grew in the area were spindly pathetic little things, barely any leaves clinging to the branches. Even less after Lance and Blue rushed past followed by a small fleet of Galra fighter jets. Oh, wait. Nope. No leaves anymore. No trees, either. A couple yellow bushes hung in there, though. They were apparently stronger than the trees. Good for them.   
   At least fucking up this planet wouldn't hurt it. Maybe he'd try to spare a few more shrubs, though. Foliage was important. Probably. He didn't know if anyone actually _lived_ around here or if it was just an empty place full of space snakes, space bats, and whatever else lived in space caves. There was probably some weird stuff down there. Probably at least one thing that would try to eat him if he ran into one.   
   He didn't want to meet those specific creatures. He didn't mind the space bats, but the specific space things that would try to eat him were a no-go. Judging by the way the fighter jets kept trying to push him in directions that looked like they'd lead underground, there was also a very specific someone in the caves. Lance opened a line and asked, “Guys, can you still hear me?”   
   “Yeah, I've got you,” Hunk replied. “You holdin’ up out there?”  
   “Me? Pft, I'm great. I just wanted to let you know I might have to take some of these guys down into the caves.”  
   “The caves? I dunno if you should do that. It's kinda closed off and, y’know, dark.”  
   “I'll be fine. I'll call if I need backup; figured I'd give you a heads up before I did.”  
   Hunk yelled for a second, a yell clearly directed at an enemy. “Alright, alright. Go for it,” he encouraged when he was done yelling. “I'll back you up if you need it.”  
   “Thanks, Hunk.”  
   “No problem.”  
   Lance closed the communication and let himself be forced downwards into a ravine, then further into the entrance of a cave. He was pushed down various twists and turns; he found out that a good few of the Galra fighters couldn't bank worth a damn. It was actually embarrassing how many of them crashed into the cave walls. How had these guys taken over so many planets if they couldn't even pilot in a cave tunnel?  
   The tunnel eventually opened into a large dead end cavern that was lit by blue and purple glowing crystals. Aside from the crystals, the cavern mostly empty save for a figure sitting up on a ledge. Only a small handful of fighters entered the cavern behind Lance. Too many, though, still too many. He didn't like the look of this. It was so closed off and so full of soldiers he didn't know.   
   It wasn't usually like this. It was always just the two of them, no one else. Except for that first time, of course. He swallowed hard. Was this a trap? He was gonna lose it if everything up to now had been a lie. He didn't expect Lotor to be completely honest all the time, but… he had _promised_. He had fucking promised Lance that he wouldn't hurt him.   
   Even if Lotor was betraying him here, he wasn't going to let a bunch of thugs in ugly jets take his lion. He was sure that at least Blue still appreciated him, even if nobody else did. He wouldn't still be a paladin if that wasn't true. He had Blue. Anyone who tried to take that away from him again was dead meat. He made quick work of those remaining jets, slicing them apart and internally daring more to come.   
    _Come on. Try to steal Blue. The blue paladin dares you_.   
   The sound of clapping echoed off the walls of the cavern. He looked back at Lotor, who was now clapping and displaying such a beautiful smile on his face that Lance almost forgot his previous worries. He watched as Lotor jumped from the ledge, landing on his feet as elegantly as a cat. “Well done,” he said appreciatively. “You're such a skilled fighter, my dear. You never disappoint me.”  
   Lance, despite himself and his worries, got out of his lion. He couldn't bring himself to completely doubt Lotor, even in these bizarre circumstances. “What's going on? Why did you bring so many fighters with you? Actually, why are you even here right now? I thought you didn't care about taking on Voltron face-to-face.”  
   “I am not personally leading an attack on Voltron. I am here not with death in mind, but rather with a question. I brought the soldiers simply because I needed to keep the others occupied while you and I had a talk,” he said, striding over and putting his hands on Lance’s waist. “I truly wish you would come away with me. Leave them behind and walk with me down a path of beauty and joy. Would you please do me the honor of granting that wish?”  
   Lance looked down at his feet. He couldn't let Lotor see the inner conflict that was likely showing on his face. “You know I can't do that.”  
   “After all this time? After all they've done to you? Come, now. You're better than that. You deserve more. I can give it to you if you'll just follow me out of this place.” There was no lie in his voice, only gentle reassurance that what he said was true. He truly meant to take complete care of Lance.   
   Lance sighed out a shaky breath. “I… if I leave them, I'll never forgive myself. I can't betray them and just walk away. They aren't all bad.”  
   “How so? What have they done to deserve you? You know I would be kinder to you than they would ever be. Trust me with your tired soul, dear, and I revive it to its true state. They have beaten you down to less than what you truly are. I cannot let you go back to them without a fight, I'm sure you understand. Tell me why they are better company than I am.”  
   “I've known Hunk and Pidge forever,” Lance said. “They're two of my best friends and I know they care about me--”  
   “They certainly don't act like it.”  
   “They do,” he said in a whisper. “They do care. They wouldn't spend so long lying to me.”  
   “Are you sure?” Lotor asked. His voice had dropped back into that low tone that made Lance fall apart in his arms. “I, for one, would never make you doubt so much. Come with me. Let me take care of you, dear. Forever. I'll show you the life you deserve if you'll just give me the chance. Grant my wish, Lance, and I will grant all of yours.You will never want for anything. Whatever you want, I shall give to you. You will never know pain again.”  
   “ _Lance_!”  
   Keith. That was Keith’s voice. He turned around and saw the red lion coming in through the cavern entrance, followed by the others. He stifled a gasp. Lotor did not hold back his hiss of annoyance. The appearance of the other paladins meant that he couldn't take Lance away right then and there like he wanted so badly.   
   There was nowhere for him to run. The exit was blocked, he had no backup soldiers, nothing. He backed a few steps away from Lance, not because he didn't want to be close to him, but because he didn't want to risk Lance being hurt if the others attacked right then and there. Not that he could say it at that moment to put Lance’s worries to rest.   
   “Lance, are you okay?” Allura asked through the radio.   
   “I-I’m fine,” he assured.   
   “Get back in your lion! You're not safe out there!”  
   He sent Lotor a hopeless glance and did as he was told.   
   “I can't believe you caught him!” Pidge exclaimed. “How'd you _do_ that?”  
   He couldn't think of anything to say as the others captured Lotor and started to haul him back to the castle, all the while telling Lance that this was _incredible_. They could get information on the empire from him. They could make sure that he would never see the light of day again. Taking him out of the fight would bring them one giant step closer to wiping the empire off the map. And it was all because of Lance. Lance had the guts to decide to lure away a chunk of the fighters and he found where Lotor was and he kept him occupied until the others could get there to capture him and--  
   Lance shuddered to think what they would say if they knew why he had really left them. Why he had actually gotten out of his lion to meet Lotor face to face. That this was not the first time that he had willingly been close enough to touch. They would never look at him the same way again.   
   With his hands and feet bound, as well as having a blindfold over his eyes, Lotor was thrown into a cell aboard the castle that Lance hadn't even known existed.   
   They praised Lance that day like they never had before.

*

   Allura all but threw her arms into the air when she walked back into the control room. “I have tried _everything_ and he won't say a word.”  
   “We knew he wouldn't be easy to break,” Keith pointed out. Lance had sat by for the past week while they tried to figure out how to get information from their prisoner. From the very beginning they knew that he wasn't going to just tell them all of his secrets, but that didn't make it any less frustrating. He literally hadn't said a single thing since he was hauled aboard the castle.   
   “We could try not feeding him,” Coran suggested.   
   “Yeah, because I'm sure he's always just _dying_ for his next meal of space goop,” Pidge pointed out. “He's hardly eating anyways. I don't think it'd do much good.”  
   “Do you think he'd tell us something if we were nice to him?” Hunk asked. “I mean, you never know, right?”  
   Allura scoffed. “He does not know how to return kindness.” Lance bit his tongue to keep from correcting her. “I think that would be more likely to make him laugh.”  
   Keith pulled out his knife. “I could always…”   
   Lance stood faster than he ever had. Everyone turned to look at him. He took a deep breath, cracked his knuckles, and said, “Let me give it a shot. If I can't get anything, then we let Keith slash him to bits. Okay?”  
   Allura sighed. “Well, I suppose he did take a liking to you when we first met. You're welcome to try. Just don't get too close.”  
   “Don't worry about it,” he said. “I can do this.”   
   Nobody followed him out of the room. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do when he got down to the cell, but he couldn't sit back and let them take a knife to Lotor’s flesh. He had been avoiding going down there ever since they captured him. There was a distinct possibility that Lotor thought that Lance had sold him out and called for help, even though that was far from true. The others had finished their battle out there and followed the blue lion’s signal to where Lance was.   
   He steeled himself before walking around the corner that would take him straight to where Lotor was being kept. He stopped in front of the door of bars and softly knocked on the metal. Lotor was sitting with his back to the door, turning when he heard the knock.   
   A light came on in his eyes. “Lance,” he breathed. “Where have you been? I've missed you.” He stood and walked over to the door, wrapping his hands around the bars and looking out at Lance.   
   “You know I didn't rat you out, right?” Lance asked before anything else.   
   “Of course, dear, of course. I know you wouldn't do that to me.”  
   Lance breathed a sigh of relief. “I was scared you thought that I had. I couldn't come down here because I thought you'd be angry at me.”  
   “Hush. I know you. I've always known that this was not your doing.” He glanced back around his cell. There wasn't much there, not much at all. A mattress on the floor, a wooden table in one corner, what must have served as the bathroom in another corner. “Though, I would much appreciate if you could get me out of here.”  
   “I'm supposed to be interrogating you,” Lance admitted. “They want to start cutting you apart. I couldn't let them do that.”  
   Lotor smiled a soft smile. “So protective of me,” he said. “What was it they wanted to know? I never listened to any of them. They weren't you.”  
   “Do you know anything about Shiro?”  
   “No,” he replied. “I've never had the pleasure of meeting the famed black paladin. I wish that I had, truly. I suppose his disappearance is my father’s doing. I knew little of what he was up to most of the time, you understand. I… was far from his ideal son.”  
   “What do you mean?”  
   “My father craved nothing but domination and death. All I ever wanted was knowledge. I spent much of my time reading, studying the universe and its people. He wanted to own them. I only ever wanted to learn about them.”  
   The realization dawned on Lance. “And he was disappointed in you, wasn't he?”  
   Lotor nodded. “Why do you think your team didn't know I existed until after he was dead and I had to take his place? I thought that I would continue his work if only to make him proud in death after the disappointment I had been to him in life. I've never had the heart for war, my dear. You know me. I live for the simple pleasures in life, not the grand ideas my father had.”  
   “Your father was an asshole,” Lance said.   
   “I'm quite inclined to agree.”  
   Lance smiled. “They were also wondering about the chain of command. Like, who comes after you?”  
   And Lotor told him. There were some things he would not say--secrets of his father’s, he said, that he couldn't bring himself to tell, even to his most beloved--and some things he skirted around, but it wasn't like Lance had ever thought that Lotor would give him a step-by-step tutorial on how to take down the empire. What he gave them was a starting place, leaving the rest up to them. It wasn't like he genuinely cared what happened to the empire.   
   There were some things worth more than family pride.   
   “Promise me you'll come back soon,” he said before Lance left. “I must admit, there's an atmosphere in this place not unlike a family’s home. It's pleasant, but seeing you here makes it special.”  
   “I promise,” Lance replied. He meant it.   
   They praised him again when he returned with real information. They couldn't seem to believe that he had actually gotten Lotor to _talk_ , not after all of their failed attempts. He just shrugged and reminded them that he _was_ the one Lotor liked. If they needed anything from him, all they had to do was ask Lance. Lance would be able to do it.   
   He'd sneak down there in the middle of the night sometimes. They'd whisper to each other and hold hands through the bars, wishing that there wasn't that divide between them. And then, during the day, Lance would be sent down with Lotor’s food--which he now ate all of--and a question or two. He always came back with an empty tray and the answers.   
   It was late one night when Lotor said, “I like it here. The lodgings could be better, certainly, but you paladins are like a family, aren't you? I can see now why you didn't want to leave them. This place feels like a home.”  
   “Yeah,” Lance agreed. “I guess it does, doesn't it?”  
   “You're lucky, dear,” Lotor told him. “You grew up with a family on Earth, yes? And now, even out here, you've found another one. You draw people in. You make people love you without even trying.”  
   “Eh, I dunno about that. A lot of people probably just… tolerate me.”  
   “Nonsense. You're the sort who can find a place wherever he goes.” He sighed. “You've spent your life surrounded by people and love. What have I spent mine on besides studies and then an empire I never loved? It doesn't matter where I go now. If your princess ever releases me, no matter which direction I go, I will end up like this again. But without you to keep my company during the long nights.”  
   Lance leaned his head against the bars. “I'll talk to her,” he said after a long moment. “Maybe I can convince them to let you out once in awhile. They'd want to keep you as restrained as possible, but I might be able to manage.”  
   “You needn't do that, dear,” Lotor said. “I would hate to cause any more trouble for you than I already have. I've been rather selfish all this time, haven't I?”  
   “I'm not innocent, either.”  
   “Perhaps not. Yet you cannot deny that you've stayed closer to your destined path than I ever did mine.”  
   “The empire was never your destiny.”  
   “Then what is?”  
   Lance didn't answer.   
   He made his case to Allura in the morning. As long as Lance was around, Lotor wouldn't do anything crazy. He had been so well behaved since Lance started going to see him. It was natural that Allura protested, saying that it could all very well be a ruse and that he would do something if he had a chance. Lance saw it fit to point out how much information Lotor had handed over since they had captured him, not to mention how much of it had been true. He hadn't been doing nothing but lying to Lance. And if Shiro hadn't been so insistent, they never would have become allies with the Blade of Marmora. Who was to say that they couldn't make an ally out of Lotor if they just took the time and the chance?  
   Under the condition that Lance and one other person was with him, Lotor was permitted to leave his cell very briefly each day. They took him on walks like he was some kind of weird pet, his hands tied behind his back as they walked. It was a less than ideal arrangement, but what could be done?  
   Lance wasn't sure how long they'd take to warm up to the idea of having the prince with them all the time. He wasn't sure they'd ever stop being so suspicious and on guard around him. But he knew Lotor like none of them did.   
   Lotor had never had a family. He knew deep down that the others would never accept him the way Lance did, they never could. He was their enemy. No matter how much he told them, no matter how calm he stayed inside the castle, no matter how well behaved he was, they would never see him as anything but the Galran prince they had fought against. He would never be a part of _their_ family. There was also one more thing he knew.  
   As long as Lance accepted him, he had a place to belong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly meant to include more in this but like,,,, pfffft I have no idea what I'm doing with my life   
> Anyways, I'll leave it up to all of you how you think everything turns out! Will they start to trust and accept Lotor, or will they get rid of him as soon as they can and break Lance's heart in the process? It's all up to your interpretation. This is where I end my version of the story, so I encourage you to come up with your own deeper endings. I'd love to hear about them, too!   
> Thank you all so much for reading this fic and sending so much support my way while I've been writing it! It means the world to me to know that my writing has finally gotten some appreciation. I throughly enjoyed writing this story, and y'all can bet your sweet asses that I'm gonna keep writing for this ship because I'm absolute garbage ayeeee  
> I hope everyone enjoyed this as much as I have!!! <3


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